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The new Hayden Planetarium Space Show Dark Universe, which premieres at the Museum on November 2, will take viewers on a journey to the edges of the observable universe and back to Earth to Bell Laboratories and Mount Wilson Observatory where groundbreaking cosmic discoveries have been made. But long before the Space Show is ready for the dome, most scenes begin with a simple sketch.

Be one of the first to fly around the Hayden Planetarium Sphere as part of this 200-person cooperative space game custom designed for the dome. The game transforms the theater into a living, breathing space ship where participants navigate through a fictitious universe.

Kerbal Space Program

Build a space-worthy craft that can safely fly your crew through space using the parts at your disposal. Each has its own function and will affect the way a ship flies—or doesn’t!

In 1950, as part of a publicity campaign, the Hayden Planetarium began accepting reservations for what was billed as the first trip into space. After ads appeared in newspapers and the story was picked up by BBC broadcaster Alistair Cooke, letters poured in from as near as Newark and as far as Northumberland, with requests to book trips to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Some were accompanied by elaborate drawings of spacecraft, others by offers to serve as crewmembers on the flight. All came from applicants who wrote passionately about becoming the first to experience a trip to outer space, and the result is a treasure trove of letters that capture the public fascination with space exploration, a selection of which are now available for viewing on the Museum’s Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration site.

What inspires scientists and innovators? On July 19, First Comes the Dream, a celebration of New York City’s emergence as a premier technology center, brought luminaries from science, technology, and media to the Museum to find out.

Co-hosted by the Museum with leading tech blog Gizmodo and social networking app Foursquare, the evening began in the Hayden Planetarium with remarks from Museum President Ellen Futter, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, and New York City Deputy Mayor Robert Steel before launching the awe-struck audience on a tour of the universe with the Museum’s Director of Astrovisualization Carter Emmart.

Next, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Museum’s Hayden Planetarium, sat down for an interview with iO9’s Annalee Newitz in the Cullman Hall of the Universe. In the video below, find out what sparked Dr. Tyson’s interest in astronomy and what he thinks the future of space exploration might hold.